Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 11, 1941. J GIBSON REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Sept. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- J 10 quiz 615:0.

Nov. 11, 1941. J GIBSON REFHIGERATING APPARATUS iginal Filed Sept. 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. J L, 6/850.

Reissued Nov. 11, 1941 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS J Lowell Gibson, Dayton, Ohio, asslgnor, by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Original No. 2,013,741. dated March 10, 1937,

Serial No. 485,448, September 30. 1930. Reissue No. 21,040, dated April 4, 1939, Serial No. 255,693, February 10, 1939. This application for reissue September 8, 1941, Serial No. 410,118

9 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerating apparatus utilizing a plurality of refrigerant circuits.

Oneof the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerating apparatus which prevents dehydration of food by the uniform cooling of a food compartment at a relatively high refrigerating temperature, and which at the same time provides a freezing compartment maintained at a relatively low temperature.

It is a further object to enable the accomplishment of the foregoing object and have a wide variation of temperatures between the freezing and food compartments.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view in cross-section of a connects the motor with the power mains, to

refrigerating apparatus embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2-is a fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 and showing a modified form of a portion of the apparatus shown'in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates, in general, a refrigerating apparatus embodying features of the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises, in general, a cabinet 22 comprising a freezing compartment 14, a food compartment 26, formed by an inner metal lining 21. and a machinery compartment 2|. The apparatus in also includes a primary refrigerating system I! for maintaining a relatively low temperature such as for freezing, and a secondary refrigerating system 32 for the maintenance of a higher refrigerating temperature such as is suitable for refrigerating food articles stored in the food compartment 2!. Thermal heat exchange means II between the primary and secondary systems is provided. The heat exchange means ll provides a shell 31 containing the heat exchange elements.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the

primary refrigerating system comprises, in gen-,

eral, a liquid refrigerant evaporator ll of the flooded, float controlled type, for instance. as shown in the patent to R. G. Osborn, No. 1,556,-

108. issued October 13, 1025, and s refrigefant u liquefying unit 42. The evaporator III is located in the freezing compartment II and is provided with one or more depending loops I which forms a freezing zone 41 adapted to house a plurality of ice-making receptacles Ill. One or more of the loops 4! may be connected to the shell ll to provide a closed refrigerant circuit through the shell ll. The liquefying unit 42 withdraws the gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator lll through a vapor conduit ll, liquefles the refrigerant and delivers it to a supply conduit U1. The liquefying unit is located in the machinery compartment and includes a motor I9, compressor and condenser iii, the motor being controlled in response to pressure within the conduit ll and therefore in accordance with the temperature of the body of liquid refrigerant in evaporator II. by means of an automatic switch II which maintain, normally, the said temperature within predetermined limits.

The secondary refrigerating system I: comprises in general, a liquid refrigerant evaporator 88 formed preferably by a plurality of flattened tubes iii and ii. The tubes iii and H are joined at their lower ends by a liquid refrigerant manifold II and at their upper ends by exhaust manifolds 14 and II respectively (see Fig. 3). Preferably the flattened tubes and manifolds are sweated to the inner metal lining which forms the food compartment II. The evaporator substantially surrounds the food compartment lining member by extending the tubes II and fit around the bottom and side walls thereof. Obviously the tubes II and Ii could be extended over the top and rear walls of the lining if desired. As an example I refer to Fig. 4 wherein tubes In and II extend over thebaclr wall of lining 21 as at Ila and Ho and over the top wall thereof as at Nb and lib. The upper endsof tubes 10 and H communicate with a substantially T-shaped manifold ll provided along the top wall of lining 21. The exhaust manifolds II and II are provided with a conduit II which leads to a coiled pipe Iii forming the condenser within the shell II. The manifold 14 is provided with a conduit .2 which is connected with pipe 18. The manifold II is provided with a conduit .3 which leads to the lower portion of the coiled pipe Ill and is provided with an upwardly directed bent portion II which provides a liquid refrigerant trap at the bottom of the coil ll.

The secondary refrigerating system is adapted for cooling food articles placed on shelves II in the food compartment 26. Since the evaporator which includes the loops l and 'Il extends substantially around the inner metal lining member 21 it will be noted that the compartment 28 is uniformly cooled by such arrangement to thus prevent the dehydration of foods stored therein. The operation of the secondary refrigerating system is as follows: As the temperature in the food compartment 28 increases, the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator portion formed by the loops 10 and II vaporizes and rises to the manifolds II and li'or to the manifold 13 whence the gas passes through the conduits B2 and 1B or through conduit 18 extending upwardly from the manifold I! to the coiled pipe 80 wherein it is liquefied by means of the cooling action of the primary refrigerant in the shell 31. The liquid refrigerant in the coiled pipe 80 is discharged through pipe 83 into the liquid refrigerant manifold 12 which feeds the liquid re frigerant to the evaporator loops I0 and II.

In order to properlyinsulate the refrigerating apparatus in the cabinet 22, a coating of bituminous cement, such as, hydrolene I00 is poured between the conduits I0 as shown in Fig. 2. Slabs of insulation I02, such as, rock cork are then ap lied to the side walls, top wall, between the freezing compartment and food compartment and bottom wall of the food compartment. The insulation at the bottom wall of the food compartment is held in place by a retaining member I05 having outwardly directed flanges Ill which permits the joint between the flange Ill! and the cabinet frame to be sealed by hydrolene. As shown in Fig. l, the insulated top and side walls of the cabinet are hermetically sealed with hydrolene as at H0. Insulation H2, such as, cardboard is then applied to the livdrolene H0. The insulation of the cabinet is held in place by an outer metal casing HI. By this arrangement the transfer ofJieat from the exterior to the interior of the cabinet is greatly reduced since the breathing action is lessened.

Preferably a volatile liquid refrigerant is provided in the secondary refrigerating system, such as, halogen derivative of an aliphatic hydrocarban, and, for instance, dlchloro-difluoro methane.

Preferably the temperature in the freezing zone 41 is maintained between predetermined temperature limits by the action of the refrigerant liquefying unit l2 for freezing substances in the receptacles B1. The temperature in the evaporator of the secondary refrigerating system is maintained between predetermined limits for refrigerating food articles in the compartment 26 by providing temperature diflerential producing means between the evaporator 08 and the condenser lll. In order to control this temperature differential a quantity of gas such as air, noncondensable at temperatures prevailing in the secondary system may be injected into said secondary system.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes ,a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: I

l. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a cabinet having a freezing compartment and a food compartment said food compartment being provided with an'inner metal lining, insulation between said compartments, a primary refrigerating system providing a freezing zone in said freezing compartments secondary refrigerating system comprising a cooling member substantially surrounding said inner metal lining and in thermal contact therewith, said secondary system being provided with a gas non-condensable at temperatures prevailing in the secondary system, and heat exchange means for said systems.

2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a cabinet having a freezing compartment and a food compartment, said food compartment being formed by an inner metal lining, insulation between said compartments, 9. primary refrigerating system for cooling said freezing compartment, said primary refrigerating system comprising a liquid refrigerant evaporator provided with a plurality of depending ducts forming a freezing zone, and a refrigerant liquefying unit for supplying refrigerant to said evaporator, a secondary refrigerating system comprising a liquid refrigerant evaporator including a liquid refrigerant manifold and exhaust manifolds and a plurality of conduits interconnecting said manifolds, said conduits bein secured to opposed walls of said lining member and extending across the bottom wall of said lining member, heat exchange means for said systems, said heat exchange means including a condenser for said secondary system, said condenser including a coiled conduit provided with a liquid refrigerant trap at the lower portion thereof, said coiled conduit being connected with said evaporator of the secondary system.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having a freezing compartment and a food compartment located below said freezing compartment, said food compartment being formed by an inner metal lining, insulation between said compartments, a primary refrigerating system for cooling said freezing compartment, said primary refrigerating system comprising a liquid refrigerant evaporator provided with a plurality of depending ducts forming a freezing zcne, and arefrigerant liquefying unit for supplying refrigerant to said evaporator, a secondary refrigerating system comprising a liquid refrigerant evaporator including a liquid refrigerant manifold and exhaust manifolds and a plurality of conduits interconnecting said manifolds, said conduits being secured to opposed walls of said lining member in parallel relation and extending across the bottom wall of said lining. member, said secondary system being provided with a gas non-condensable at temperatures prevailing in the secondary system, heat exchange means for said systems, said heat ex- 7 change means including a condenser for said secondary system, said condenser including a coiled conduit provided with a liquid refrigerant trap at the lower portion thereof, said coiled conduit being connected with said manifolds of the evaporator of the secondary system.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having a freezing compartment and a food compartment, said food compartment having an inner lining, insulationbetween said compartments, a primary refrigerating system providing a freezing zone in said freezing compartment, a secondary refrigerating system comprising a cooling member disposed in thermal contact with said inner lining and substantially surrounding same, heat exchange means for said systems, said secondary refrigerating system having a volatile refrigerant therein, and means for maintaining a predetermined differential in the temperature of refrigerant in disposed in direct contact with air within said ing substantially coextensive in width and depth} an evaporator located within one of said compartments, said evaporator having a portion thereof disposed for the making of ice, and another portion thereof for directly cooling air within said one compartment, a second evaporator in heat exchange relation with said second compartment, a condenser connected to said second named evaporator, said condenser being arranged in direct contact with a portion of said first named evaporator.

6. Refrigerating apparatus including a plurality of vertically extending insulating walls forming an enclosure coextensive in width and depth substantially throughout the heightthereof, an imperforate partition element extending horizontally between said walls and dividing said enclosure into upper andflower food storage compartinents, said compartments being substantially coextensive in width and depth, an evaporator located within one of said compartments, said evaporator having an ice mal ring portion and a portion in direct contact with air within said one compartment, a metallic lining for the other of said compartments, an evaporator in contact with said liner. a condenser connected to said second evaporator, said condenser being located in direct contact with said first named evaporator.

'7. Refrigerating apparatus" including a cabinet having three compartments formed therein, a motor and compressor located in one of said compartments, said other compartments being provided with insulating walls and being arranged substantially coextensive in width and depth throughouttheir height, an evaporator for one of said insulated compartments. said evaporator having a portion thereof for the manufacture of ice and another portion thereof compartment, a metallic liner for the second compartment, an evaporator located in direct contact with the exterior surface of said liner. a condenser connected to said second named evaporator, said condenser being located in direct contact with a portion of said first named evaporater-.1

8 Refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having three compartments formed therein, a high pressure side including a motor and compressor located in one of said compartments, said other compartments being insulated and separated from each other by a partition, said last two compartments being arranged substantially coextensive in width and depth throughout their height, a low pressure side including an evaporator in heat exchange relation with one of said insulated compartments for the manufacture of ice and for the cooling of air within said compartment, a metallic liner for the other insulated compartment, an evaporator located in direct contact with the exterior surface of three upright side walls and the bottom wall of said liner, and a condenser connected to said second named evaporator, said condenser being located in direct contact with a portion of said low pressure side.

9. Refrigerating apparatus including a cabinet having three compartments formed therein, a high pressure side including a motor and compressor located in one of said compartments, said other compartments being insulated and separated from each other by a partition, said last two compartments being arranged substantially coextensive in width and depth throughout their height, a low pressure side including an evaporator in heat exchange relation with one of said insulated compartments for the manufacture of ice and for the cooling of air within said compartment, a metallic liner for the other insulated compartment, an evaporator located in direct contact with the exterior surface of three upright side walls of said liner, and a condenser connected to' said second named evaporater, said condenser being located in direct contact with a portion of said low pressure side.

J HOWELL GIBSON. 

